bucket list

It’s that time of year! Here are some ways to help get your school year off to a good start!  1. Let the sun wake you up. Read why you should consider it. 2. After the first week of school, bike around your block to relax. 3. In the morning, spend one minute doing jumping …

  We love thinking of ways to celebrate each season.  Here’s what we’re looking forward to trying this Fall.  Let us know if you try them!     You’ve tried a leaf pile. This Fall, try a leaf maze or labyrinth. We’d love to see pictures of your designs. Make smores with a solar oven. …

1. Go kayaking! And check out these five reasons why you should take the kids with you. 2. Stargaze. Put these summer dates on your calendar. 3. Pick some fruit and make a cobbler. 4. Try tie dying with dye made from plant matter. 5. Use these tricks to attract fireflies to your yard. 6. …

Help the Monarchs by planting Milkweed in your yard.  Learn about varieties that work best in your region and how you can become a Monarch Waystation from Monarch Watch. Skip rocks. See if your community has a bike parade and join the fun.  If not, consider organizing one for your neighborhood. Make a rain chain …

Make a giant cup of hot chocolate and sip it on your porch. Catch a snowflake with your tongue. Make an impact in your community:  spend an hour picking up trash in or near your neighborhood. Have a competition amongst your family and see who can collect the most pinecones.  Then make something beautiful with …

1. When leaves start to fall, try to catch one before it hits the ground. When you do it, make a wish. 2. Ready for a break from your routine? Follow a squirrel for five minutes (watching out for traffic, of course). You never know what you might find. 3. Roast butternut or acorn squash. …

Choose one (or six) of these ideas to make this semester awesome. 1. In the morning, use five minutes to take a quick walk outdoors to wake up your brain. Read why exercising outdoors is optimal. Bonus: Try running outdoors in the mornings. Be sure to eat some easily digestible breakfast before you head out …

1. Tired of your alarm? Let the sun wake you up. Read our article on revamping your morning routine for summer. 2. Set up a hummingbird feeder just outside your breakfast window and start your day with a smile. 3. Enjoy a lemony and tangy salad of wood sorrel and wild strawberries (from organic, pesticide-free …

March 30th is “Take a Walk in the Park” day.  Spend an hour enjoying a lovely stroll! Either find a fourth grader or act like one and plan your summer trips around national parks. As of this year, fourth graders get free annual passes to national parks! Make your own spring tonic soup. (Be sure …

Invite some outdoorsy friends to enjoy free National Park admission on Veteran’s Day, November 11th. Pick a pumpkin off the vine. Find pumpkin patches and more. Replace your tired summer annuals with a salad garden: arugula, radishes, carrots and baby lettuce are delicious and simple to grow. Check out the wealth of gardening knowledge available …

Hurray!  The time has changed and the days are getting longer.  Use the additional daylight to enjoy time outdoors.  Some of our favorite things to do are play kick the can, enjoy a game of hide and seek, and play freeze tag with family and friends. Lay outside on a quilt outside and look for …

Try remixed snow art: Add color to your snowman or snow angel with spray bottles of diluted food coloring. Take a nature walk to gather materials (think rosemary, holly, pine cones or berries) to decorate your home. Try cross-country skiing. If you missed it this fall (or even if you didn’t), build a bonfire and …

Catch a falling leaf before it hits the ground and make a wish. Daylight savings time gives us an extra hour on November 3rd. Use that hour to watch the sunrise. Try three new types of apples. Bonus: pick-it-yourself! (Find an orchard at PickYourOwn.org.) Find the biggest rock that you can (mountains count) and climb to …

Start the day with a walk outside: no headphones, just the morning sounds of birds, breezes and possibilities. See how it changes your day. Plant a summer garden: our favorite things are heirloom vegetables and flowers! Pick a fresh bouquet of flowers for your desk every day for a week. Explore a new trail. Forage for …